Career Center Student Policy

Handshake Account Usage Policy

Access to Handshake is provided exclusively to currently enrolled UGA students and alumni. Individual account holders are prohibited from sharing their access to the system with other individuals (UGA or external). UGA students or alumni who violate this policy are, at the discretion of the UGA Career Center, subject to lose their access to Handshake including their interviewing privileges at the UGA Career Center.

Fradulent Job & Internship Posting Warning & Disclaimer

The university does not endorse or recommend employers, and a posting does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. The university explicitly makes no representations or guarantees about job listings or the accuracy of the information provided by the employer. The university is not responsible for safety, wages, working conditions, or any other aspect of off-campus employment without limitation. It is the responsibility of students to perform due diligence in researching employers when applying for or accepting private, off-campus employment and to thoroughly research the facts and reputation of each organization to which they are applying. Students should be prudent and use common sense and caution when applying for or accepting any position.

The UGA Career Center has a strict no show and cancellation policy for on campus interviews. If a student cancels a scheduled interview less than 24 hours before the scheduled interview time, or if the student does not show up for a scheduled interview, the student’s Handshake account will be blocked. This policy will be enforced no matter what the excuse (sickness, family emergency, car trouble, exam schedule, work conflict, etc.).

In order to have his/her Handshake account unblocked, the student must write an apology/explanation letter and email that to the employer within one week of the missed interview. In addition, Debi Grayson (DebiG@uga.edu), Recruiting Coordinator, must be copied on that email. It is the student’s responsibility to look up the employer’s contact information. They can do so by coming to the Career Center front desk and looking in the on campus interview binder that holds employer contact information. This information will not be provided over the phone or via email. If a student fails to do the aforementioned tasks, his/her Handshake account will remain blocked.

Students unable to keep an appointment for a campus interview must cancel the interview through Handshake by 12:00 noon, two working days prior to the scheduled interview time. Students who fail to cancel their interviews in time and students who fail to appear for scheduled interviews may lose their interviewing privileges at the Career Center.

Student/Alumni Rights and Responsibilities as a Job Seeker

Choosing and attaining meaningful post-graduation employment is an important challenge for college students/alumni. To aid this process, your career center and employers develop connections and programs, such as on-campus recruiting, resume referral services, and job fairs, in which you and your fellow students/alumni are active participants. In order for this process to be successful, everyone involved must work together. These principles provide guidelines for that process in order to guarantee:

That students/alumni can openly, freely, and objectively select employment opportunities, making these choices based on their assessment of the best use of their abilities, their personal goals, and other pertinent facts;

A recruitment process that is fair and equitable to students/alumni and employers alike;

Support for informed and responsible decision making by students/alumni.

Students/Alumni: Here's What You Can Reasonably Expect From Your Career Center

1. Confidentiality. Career Center staff members are expected to exercise sound judgment and fairness in maintaining the confidentiality of student information, regardless of the source, including written records, reports, and computer data bases. Disclosure of student information outside the college/university should only be made with your prior consent unless health and safety considerations necessitate the distribution of such information.

2. Freedom of choice. You're entitled to be assisted by the Career Center staff in developing a career plan and making career decisions without having staff members' biases or personal values imposed upon you.

3. Access to all services and events. Career centers may charge students/alumni for registering or taking part in certain services or events. Such fees should be sufficiently nominal so as not to hinder you from participating.

4. Access to career information. All students/alumni, regardless of personal or educational background, should be provided by Career Center staff members with equal and full access to information on career opportunities and types of employing organizations. Career Center staff members are also expected to inform you how and where to obtain information which may influence your decisions about an employing organization.

5. Testing information. Career Center staff members should inform you of the availability of testing, the purpose of the tests, and the disclosure policies regarding test results.

Students/Alumni: Here's What You Can Reasonably Expect From Employers

1. Confidentiality. Employers are expected to maintain the confidentiality of student information, regardless of the source, including personal knowledge, written records/reports, and computer databases. An employer shouldn't disclose information about you to another organization without your prior written consent, unless necessitated by health and/or safety considerations.

2. Accurate information. Employers are expected to provide accurate information about their organizations and employment opportunities. This includes, but is not limited to, positions available, responsibilities, career advancement opportunities, and benefits.

3. Freedom from undue pressure. Employers are expected to provide you with a reasonable amount of time to make a decision about accepting an employment offer. They are also expected to provide you with a reasonable process for making your decision. An unreasonable process, for example, is one in which the student is told that the offer is good for a set amount of time; unbeknownst to the student, the same offer has been made to others-and the student who accepts first gets the job. In addition, it is improper for employers to pressure you to revoke your acceptance of another job offer.

4. Timely communication. Employers are expected to inform you of your status in the hiring process and communicate hiring decisions within the agreed-upon time frame.

5. Fair treatment. If an employer is required by changing conditions to revoke a job offer that you've accepted, you're entitled to a fair and equitable course of action. That can include, but is not limited to, financial assistance and outplacement service.

6. Testing information. Employers should inform you in advance of any testing, the purpose of the tests, and their policies regarding disclosure of test results.

7. Nondiscrimination. Employers are expected to avoid discrimination in their recruitment activities and to follow equal employment opportunity and affirmative action principles.

Students/Alumni: Your Role in this Process

1. Assume ownership and responsibility for your career development and job search process. The process of career development - from career exploration to the job search process - is a partnership in which you must take an active role. Using your Career Center to find a job is like using your gym to get in shape. You can't just snap your fingers and you're physically fit...you have to exercise- lift weights, run laps, and work out. Likewise, you need to "work out" at your Career Center. Your Career Center workout may consist of registering for Handshake, meeting with your Career Consultant, and attending programs on resume writing, networking, and the job search. By partnering with the Career Center, you'll be able to enhance your career development skills and, ultimately, become more successful in your job search.

2. Provide accurate information about your academic work and records, including courses taken, grades, positions held, and duties performed. You can, however, refuse to provide an employer with specific information about any job offers you may have received from other employers. You do not have to name the organizations that have made you offers, nor do you have to provide specific information about what salaries you've discussed with those organizations. Instead, you can give broad responses to such questions, naming types of employers-"I've interviewed with employers in the retail industry"-and offering salary ranges rather than specific dollar amounts-"The salary offers I've received have been in the $25,000 to $30,000 range." Incidentally, it's in your best interest to research salaries and to let employers know that you have done so.

3. Be honest. Conduct your job search with honesty and integrity. Do not lie or stretch the truth on your resume, applications, or during any part of the interview process.

4. Interview genuinely. Interview only with employers you're sincerely interested in working for and whose eligibility requirements you meet. "Practice" interviewing is misleading to employers-wasting both their time and money-and prevents sincerely interested candidates from using those interview slots.

5. Adhere to schedules. Appear for all interviews, on campus and elsewhere, unless unforeseeable events prevent you from doing so. And, if you can't make the interview because of an unforeseeable event, notify your career center and the employer at the earliest possible moment.

6. Don't keep employers hanging. Communicate your acceptance or refusal of a job offer to employers as promptly as possible, so they can notify other candidates that they are still being considered or that the position is filled.

7. Accept a job offer in good faith. When you accept an offer, you should have every intention of honoring that commitment. Accepting an offer only as a precautionary measure is misleading to the employer and may restrict opportunities for others who are genuinely interested in that employer.

8. Withdraw from recruiting when your job search is completed. If you accept an offer or decide that full-time graduate or professional studies are for you, notify your career center and withdraw from the on-campus recruiting process immediately. And, let employers that are actively considering you for a job know that you are now out of the running.
By informing everyone that you've got a job or are headed to graduate school, you not only get the chance to brag but also to help your friends who are trying to get on interview schedules or who are being considered for positions.

9. Claim fair reimbursement. If an employer has agreed to reimburse you for expenses you incur in its recruitment process, your request should be only for reasonable and legitimate expenses.

10. Obtain the career information you need to make an informed choice about your future. It's up to you to acquire the information about career opportunities, organizations, and any other information that might influence your decisions about an employing organization.

11. Follow student event policy. To help ensure a pleasant and productive environment for all participants, the following guidelines have been established: 1) Career Fairs are open to UGA students and alumni only. 2) Respect all participants (employers, job seekers, and staff). 3) Appropriate attire is required and is determined by event. Some events require Professional or Business Attire. 4) For safety reasons, the doorways to the event (inside and out) and the surrounding areas must be kept clear at all times. 5) Participants are expected to cooperate with all reasonable requests made by members of the staff and all reasonable requests of any person acting in an official capacity as a representative of the participating institutions. 6) If questions or concerns arise during the event, please contact a member of the Career Center staff for assistance.

12. Follow the Handshake usage policy. Access to Handshake is provided exclusively to currently enrolled UGA students and alumni. Individual account holders are prohibited from sharing their access to the system with other individuals (UGA or external). UGA students or alumni who violate this policy are, at the discretion of the UGA Career Center, subject to lose their access to Handshake, including their interviewing privileges at the UGA Career Center. Other policy violations, such as not showing up for a scheduled campus interview and/or RSVP event, could lead students' to lose their access to Handshake.

13. Request accommodations if necessary - Career Center Disability Access Policy. The Career Center is committed to providing access for all people with disabilities and will provide accommodations if notified in advance. To request accommodations please contact us at (706) 542-3375.

14. Be aware of fraudulent job postings - Career Center Fraudulent Jobs Policy. The University of Georgia's (UGA) Career Center does not endorse any employer and urges students/alumni to use good judgment in all of their interactions with employers. The UGA Career Center suggests that students/alumni request business references for unknown organizations before interviewing with them off campus. The UGA Career Center advises students/alumni to interview in public places only. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the validity of an employer's job posting, interview practices, or any other interaction you may have with an employer please contact UGA's Career Center at 706-542-3375. If you are actively seeking employment, don't fall for one of the many forms of employment scams. See below tips on how to avoid employment scams and/or click here - http://www.career.uga.edu/multimedia/bbb.pdf - for additional information from The Better Business Bureau that can help educate you on how to protect yourself from fraudulent job postings or staffing agencies. Typically, you can identify an employment scam because: 1) You must give your credit card or bank account numbers, or copies of personal documents - but you get nothing in writing. 2) You must send payment by wire service or courier. 3) You are offered a large payment or reward in exchange for allowing the use of your bank account - often for depositing checks or transferring money. 4) You receive an unexpectedly large check.

15. Read, respond, and act on student e-mail notices - The UGA Career Center uses e-mail to notify students/alumni about newly posted positions, upcoming deadlines, or last minute changes to interview schedules. Employers will primarily use your email for notifications, so it's critical to check your e-mail on a regular basis!

16. Monitor Your Online Identity. Social networking profiles (i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter) are public and can be viewed by employers. Therefore, it is important for you to review your social networking profiles and delete anything questionable. Edit anything that may be used for discrimination or may be viewed as inappropriate, controversial, or scandalous. Google yourself or use multiple search engines to find out what employers might see when searching for your name, email address, screen name, and phone number. If you find information you feel could be detrimental to your candidacy or career, see about getting it removed- and make sure you have an answer ready to counter or explain "digital dirt."

17. Develop a professional e-mail address and voice mail message. When corresponding with employers, it is important to present a professional image. Email addresses such as BrewDawg"at" email.com or sassy "at" email.edu may have personal meaning to you, but to employers, they represent someone who lacks professionalism. Your telephone voice mail message should also reflect professionalism. Make sure that the greeting has a businesslike tone. Avoid having music playing in the background or using inappropriate language.